Newark – A felon on parole for a prior drug conviction was arrested yesterday by Essex County sheriff’s detectives and new drug charges were filed against him.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from the Bureau of Narcotics working on confidential information conducted an investigation of the activities of Percy Winn, age 35, of North 11th Street, Newark.

Sheriff Fontoura said the BON detectives suspected Winn to be a distributor of heroin and cocaine and set up surveillance at Winn’s residence on Tuesday afternoon in unmarked police vehicles. Winn’s residence had cameras mounted on the building to monitor activity outside his home.

Fontoura noted that the sheriff’s narcotics detectives simultaneously conducted a second surveillance operation at a Burger King parking lot, located on 645 Central Avenue in Orange.

BON officers followed the suspect in his 2002 Ford Explorer to 780 Springfield Avenue in East Orange where they believed the suspect stashed his narcotics. Upon exiting the East Orange residence, Winn was observed carrying a black plastic bag. The suspect then returned to his Newark residence.

A short time later, Winn with a noticeable bulge in his right front jeans pocket drove to the Burger King parking lot. When the suspect arrived at the parking lot the BON detectives boxed in the suspect vehicle.

Winn was ordered out of his vehicle and searched. His jeans pocket contained 500 decks of heroin, stamped “Guns N Roses” in red ink. Winn was placed under arrest.

“The suspect was one month away from finishing his parole,” Sheriff Fontoura observed. “Apparently, he had no intention of turning his life around after spending a considerable time in prison. He will not be back on our streets again anytime in the near future.”

The search of the three locations yielded 2,422 decks of heroin and one pound of cocaine. The narcotics with an estimated street value of nearly $50,000 was discovered underneath a dog house in the Newark garage and in a closet at the East Orange apartment. Narcotics processing and packaging paraphernalia was also seized.

Winn was charged with 2 counts each of possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of CDS with intent to distribute and one count of possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of St. Rose of Lima School. Judge Zampino set bail at $150,000 cash bond only. The suspect was lodged in the county jail where he awaits arraignment on the new drug charges.